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What is Pedagogical Grammar?

Glynn Palecpec says that it might be defined as “a grammar developed for learners of a foreign language”. A more elaborated definition is given by Geraldine Paneda when she says: “is designed primarily for students who are learning a second language because its main goal is to increase fluency and accuracy of speech”. In that sense, teachers are being encouraged to adopt alternative approaches when they teach grammar, focusing the attention in the student’s background, context, and needs.

In other hand, Pedagogical Grammar is based on researches about “how learners learn and how they follow certain linguistic theories in their descriptions” (paraphrasing Pineda), and the results of that researches, are taken into account to design courses and grammar literature. The idea is that students improve of other languages skills at the same time they can integrate grammar rules. This is pretty much possible when there is a very well designed methodology that involves students-centered activities. For example, practices, problem-solving, classes outside the rooms, among others, make the students to learn and practice grammar in real life situations.

Another relevant aspect of Pedagogical Grammar is the fact that the grammatical knowledge is considered a developmental process that occurs gradually. In that way, the content is divided in levels, in order to make it easier to teach and to learn. Students must develop a true understanding of English Grammar and how it works, that means, a natural sense of how, when, and why English speakers use grammatical structures, rather than stocking and shocking with rules and descriptions.

Rules vs Pedagogical Grammar

According to Paul Westney (1994), “…rules are neither realistic nor desirable in a learning/teaching situation (Westney, 1994, p. 92): when we teach, through the context for example, we actually do not need to explain neither to describe rules. We only use them and learner eagerly will realize and imitate the patterns that make sense and will avoid that one that do not. In other words, rules are neither necessary nor essential in language learning process.

Note: Glynn Palecpec is a Department Head at Movers Academy (a private school in Philippines). Geraldine Paneda actually teaches at Tanglag Elementary School, US, and they gave us their opinions about the topic in a forum in internet (slide share)on December, 2012.

Bibliography

Susan Kesner Bland. GRAMMAR SENSE 3. Oxford University Press. N. Y. USA.

Westney P. (1994). Rules and Pedagogical Grammar: Chapter 4. Online Publication (2012). Cambridge University Press.